What do football and executive recruitment have in common? A lot more than you think. With the 2018 World Cup getting down to the business end of the football competition, Malaysian radio personality Audrey Raj, a producer with The Business Radio Station (BFM), broadcast a football- and human resources (HR)-focused interview with executive recruitment consultant Avinash Kumar.
Kuala Lumpur-based BFM said the pair explored recruitment and HR strategies employed by national team managers at the World Cup and how they could be emulated in the workplace.
“From player/employee sourcing and selection processes, to the kind of performance indicators these coaches prioritise and some of the reasons behind their more controversial decisions and whether in hindsight these choices were justified.”
Mr Kumar, from international award-winning executive recruitment company Monroe Consulting Group Malaysia, said he relished the opportunity to “relate recruitment to something as fun as football” and share the information via BFM, a respected and professional media organisation.
“I had a great time bouncing on thoughts and ideas with the producer Audrey during the shows as we share an equal passion for football.”
Mr Kumar said he was first asked about common traits between football managers and recruitment and HR executives, as well as finding a balance when building a team of employees.
The interview progressed to questions about developing the ability to attract top talent or the best people to a company to ensure a business had an edge over its competitors, the Kuala Lumpur-based recruitment consultant said.
Other topics included dealing with rotten apples, succession planning, crisis management and the continuously changing executive recruitment market in Malaysia.
The regular guest on BFM said he had received an overwhelmingly positive response about the broadcast.
“A number of people who have listened to the interview, which can still be downloaded [here], have been in touch to say my interview simplified the way they look at their current recruitment process at their organization.”